Ionace macway



Jly 24, 1928.

l. MAcwAY LUBRICATING DEVICE!l FOR AXLE BOXES Filed Sept. 9l 1926 CII Patented July 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES IGNACE MACWAY, OF BRUSELS, BELGIUM.

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOB BOXES.

Application led September 9, 1926, Serial No. 134,543, and in Belgium September 23, 1925.

My invention relates to lubricating devices for the axles of the rollin stock and draw-- material of railways, suci as the axles of railway andtrainway carriages and wagons of mining wagons and other similar carriages.

As it is well known, until now the axles of the rolling stock have always been lubricated by means of axle boxes in which oil is contained. The eiiiciency of these devices is greatly affected by certain conditions of working mainly by the variations of temperature. In fact when the temperature increases the viscosity of the oil diminishes and the oil becomes less adhering and less resisting to the pressure whereas on the other hand, it becomes thicker. when the temperature falls, in such amanner that a suitable circulation of the oil may become impossible thuscausing a defective oiling.

The device forming the subject matter ofi'ny invention has for its object to avoid these inconveniences, and to allow travel, over long distances withoutnecessitating a refilling of the lubricating devices.

With this object in View, my invention essentially consists in the special arrangements and combinations of parts as hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the annexed drawings which show as an example several embodiments of my invention,

Fig. l is a lon itudinal vertical sectional View of an axle ox.

Fig. 2 is a transverse `sectional view taken on line IL-II in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of an axle box, showi a modification.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line IV-IV in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of an axle box, similar to Figs. 1 and 3 but showing a further modification.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on line VIw-VI in Fig. 5.v

The axle box shown on Figs. 1 and 2 comprises, as usually an upper part 1 containing the bearing bush 2 by means of which the load is carried by the journal 3 of the axle 4 carrying the wheels of the carriage.

The upper part 1 is connected kby means of bolts 5 to the lower part 6 of the box. This lower part 6 is provided inside with Theupperfedgesof the rectangular cup 7 project upwards to a certain distance from the lower generating lineof the journal 3 and are surrounded by a metal box 11 carried on eachk side, by a .spring 12 fixed on a boss 13 Vprovided in the lower part 6 of the axle box. The metal box 11 which is of rectangular shape like the cup and forms a kind of groove around the said cup coni tains a packin 14 which is pressed by springs l2 against the periphery of the journal 3.

In the cylinder or vessel 9, a piston 15 is arranged and this piston is subjected to the action of a spring 16. The rod 17 of this piston projects above the cover 10 and acts as an indicator showing the quantity of the reserve of grease contained in the vessel 9.

When the device is working, the cup 7, the channel 8 andthe vessel 9 are filled with a suitable hard fat and this fat or grease is kept in direct contact `with the journal 3 through the action of the piston 15.

Consequently, when the journal revolves, it takes off separate pieces or particles of grease from the reserve of grease which is contained in the cup 7 and in the space formed bV the metal box 11. These pieces or partie es of grease `are carried .away by the rotation of tliejournal and are crushed or squeezed between the bearing 2 and the journal 3, thus forming a grease tilm which becomes thinner and thinner as the rotation of the journal progresses and whichsubsequently thickens again when the considered part of the journal 3 takes away new particles of grease from cup 7 A sort of pellicular bushlis thus formed between the journal 3 and the-bearing 2 which in this vmanner is permanently greased. f

The journalsor axles of the rolling stock or of the draw material being subjected `to work in very different conditions of temperature and load, it is necessary in order tov realize this method of pellicular greasing through the lower part of the axle or journal,

to make use of a grease possessing certain particular features. For instance, this grease must be able to resist to a cooling of about-15 ors-18 C.; on the other hand it must be able to resist also to the action of heat, that is to say to have a softening point of at least 120o C. in order to be able to perform the (gi-easing cold or warin without modifying its conditions of consistency or its lubricating properties. It inust resist to a pressure oi' about L5 to (3() Kg. per cm2, containing only 3 to 6% of ash, being` adherent by ,its nature, and free of any artiiicial product intended to secure adherency Regarding these conditions, it must. be. observed that greases possessing these qualities are existing to-day and are already used for the greasing` of bearings which are heavily loaded and subjected to great strains for instance in steel works, ceinent and paper inanu'factories and the like (see for instance: Verein Deutscher Eisenhuttenleute 1922 page el).

It niust be noted however thatv hitherto whe-,n.such a grease was used for the greasing of a bearing, it was always in combination` with greasing devices in which the grease was contained in a vessel arranged above the bearing. In none or' these devices the hard grease has been applied such as in the present case against the lower `free part or' the journal.

Taking in consideration the information which is known about the use of greases oi this kind, it inust be admitted that the device above described will allow travel over particularly long distances without requiring a` refilling ofthe device and whilst securing a perfect greasing` of the greatest security.

As will be easily understood, the device as above' described allows in a very simple manner, the transformation of the usual oilboxes of the rolling stock without necessitatingthewhole change of such oil-boxes.

Figs. 3 and e show as an example, one manner of applying the invention to such oil# boxes ot the ordinary type. In these figures the parts corresponding; to those described. with reference to Figs. l and 2 areprovided with the saniereierence characters. ln this construction however'the vessel 9 instead oi being castwith the lower part oi the axlebox, inakes part of the cover of the grease box and is inserted in the lower part of the said box by a lateralv opening 18 in such a inanner that the cup 7 which is connected to the vessel 9`by the channel 8 feeds the grease to the metal box l1 surrounding the cup 7 in the space formed by the rectangular packing 14.

Figs. 5 and G show another arrangement of the saine kind In this modiiication, in whicn the parts connnon to the constructions already described are also designated by the saine reference characters, the axle-box l is cast in one piece which is open laterally as shown at. 19. This opening is closed by a plate 20 Ylorininga cylinder 2l provided at its lower end with an extension corre spending to the channel S already described.

ythis extension :foi-nis the rectangular cup i' spring piston l5 is substituted by the actionof a cylindrical weight 26 acting as a piston to :feed the grease from the vessel 2l intothe cup 'i'.

lfVhat I claim is: j

l. In. an axle box, in combination with an axle journal rotating within said axle box, a bearing bush through which the axle box is supported by the upper part of the periphery oil:` the axle journal, a grease cup arranged in the lower part olf the axle box under the axle journal, a spring pressed packing surrounding reely the said grease cup, and contacting with the axle journal, whereby the said packing is adapted to move up and down along the grease cup and is adapted to follow the inov'eincnts olf the journal, a grease vessel, achannel whereby the grease vessel is connected to the grease cup and means whereby the grease contained in the grease vessel is fied Ato the grease cup and to the loweipart of the periphery of the axle journal.

2. lin an axle box, in combination with an axle'journal rotating` within said axle box, a, bearing bush through which the axle box is supported by the upper part of the periphery of the axle journal, a grease cup arranged in the lower part of the axle box under the axle journal, a1 instal boxv freely surrounding the grease cup, a. packing mounted in the said inetal box, springs acting upon the said rnetal box, whereby the packing is adapted to follow the ino veinents oit the journal7 a grease vessel, a channel whereby the grease vessel is connectediio the grease cup and ineans whereby the grease contained in the grease vessel is fed to the grease cup and to the lower part ol. the periphery ot the axle journal.

In an axle box, in combination with an axle journal rotating within said axle box, a bearing bush through which the axle box is supported by the upper part or the periphery o'r the axle journal, a grease cup arranged in the lower part or' the axle box under the axle journal, a inetal box surrounding 'freely the grease cup and adapted to inove freely along the faces oi the said grease cup, ay packing mounted in the said inetal box, springs acting upon the said metal.

box, whereby the packing is adapted lto folgrease contained in the cylindrical grease low the movements and is held in contact vessel is fed to the grease cup and to the With the lower part of the periphery of the lower part of the periphery of the axle jour- 10 axle journal, a cylindrical grease vessel, a nal.

5 channel whereby the grease vessel is connect- In testimony whereof I have aixed my ed to the grease cup and a iston acting in signature. the cylindrical grease vessel) whereby hard IGNACE MACWAY. 

